Tag Archives: What Can Brown Do For You

Hello all you lovelies! It’s my pleasure to welcome fabulous debut author Hunter Frost who’s stopped by to answer some fun questions about herself and her new release What Can Brown Do For You?–part of the Men In Uniform anthology from Torquere Press!

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1. Why did you decide to write M/M Romance?

It was a complete fluke that I even stumbled upon reading my first M/M Romance. I had been reading and writing a lot of M/F Romance and somewhere along the way lost my groove. I was struggling with the writing process and trying to figure out where I wanted to go with writing as a career. I just happened to read a short erotic western featuring two men as I browsed the web one day. I had never read anything like it before and thought it incredibly sexy! I wanted more. That’s when The Auspicious Troubles of Chance popped up as a recommendation on the site. I read the blurb and excerpt and bought it instantly. I mean, come on, Jacky Valentine is a commandant in the French Foreign Legion. Uniform fetish here, you know? J I read it all in one sitting. By the end I was motivated to write again and excited to try my hand at M/M Romance. I wrote to Charlie about how much her book inspired me and the rest is history!

2. What did you enjoy most about writing this story?

I loved writing from the point of view of my main character, Sean Barlow. He’s an IT specialist who loves online gaming and most things you’d see at ComicCon. He’s snarky and self-deprecating, and definitely reflects my own geeky side. Movie references come easy to him and he made me laugh out loud with some of his inner dialogue.

3. What do you do when you’re not writing?

I have an 8-5 office job with the state of Nevada and I’m finishing up my MA in history. I study nineteenth-century British history so there will be a Victorian story on the list one day soon. Other than work and school, I enjoy watching movies, especially comedies, and exploring the many dive bars of Las Vegas. I also love to travel when I have the time. I’ve been all over the US and last year visited England and Wales. My next trip will probably be to someplace tropical.

4. What’s your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a little of both – but I lean more toward plotter. I almost always come up with my characters first and then put them in situations that drive them as crazy as possible. I create a rough outline of the story and tinker with that for a while until it seems solid. Then I write. My first drafts are all over the place and I may change the outline, but eventually I complete that draft, do one big revision, and it’s off to the betas to tear apart. Once they get back to me, I revise again and polish until smooth.

5. What are you finding to be the most challenging part of being a published author?

Promotion. I hate bugging people on social media sites and tooting my own horn. I wish I could just do interviews like these J

6. Do you have a designated writing area at home? What’s it like?

My computer is hooked up to a big screen TV monitor at the foot of my bed. So, I write in bed with a wireless keyboard and mouse. It’s worked better for my productivity than a traditional desk because I need to be relaxed in order to write. At a desk I feel like I’m at work and stress overpowers my creativity. Only when my boyfriend wants to watch TV in bed is it a problem. On the plus side, if I get tired, all I have to do is lay down.

7. How did it feel to sign that first contract?

I cried. Not big, deep sobs mind you; a few happy tears. I accomplished something I had been dreaming about since high school, writing stories with my vocabulary words. I’m not sure I believed I could do it – that somehow life would get in the way and writing would fall by the wayside. But I proved myself wrong. I was relieved and excited at the same time! Now I feel like nothing can stop me.

8. What advice would you give to an aspiring author looking to get published?

Keep writing and keep completing your stories. You can only publish something that’s finished. That’s the hardest part. Once you have stories to share, the options are endless.

Talk to other authors, make friends, and join writing groups. The support I’ve received from other writers has been priceless. My writing buddies keep me motivated and moving forward and I don’t think this writing thing would be nearly as enjoyable without them. The M/M Romance community has been amazing as well. I’m forever thankful to be part of such a giving group of writers and readers.

9. Coffee or tea?

Either. I love them both! And though I’m an anglophile, I can’t handle milk in my tea. Blech!

10. What are your plans for the future? What more can we look forward to from you?

My plans are to keep writing M/M romance, and possibly some M/F romance, until I’m physically unable to hold a pen, speak into a microphone, or type out letters.

As for what’s coming up: I wrote a short story for the Goodread’s anthology, Love’s Landscapes, called “A Thoreau Affair” about a retired University professor and the irresistible student who finds his way back into his life. That should be out this summer.

I’m finishing up a novella to be submitted this month about an injured army veteran with PTSD and a physical therapist who helps him find the courage to heal.

I’m also working on the first novel in a contemporary trilogy set in Charleston, South Carolina. Some of the characters from those novels will include a sexy blues singer, a built police officer, and a Scottish Lord.

The remainder of the year should be a busy one, indeed!

What Can Brown Do For You?

Blurb:

IT geek Sean Barlow lusts after the dreamy UPS guy who charms the ladies in his office with his roguish smile and sinful brown shorts. He couldn’t be more out of Sean’s league, even if by some miracle he was gay. But when a freak power outage finds Sean trapped in the elevator with his uniformed hunk, he learns first-hand that you can’t judge a UPS guy by the size of his package.

Excerpt:

I made my way over to the break room, carrying a binder in front of me (I’ve learned my lesson) and an empty coffee cup to make it look like I had a reason to be there. Mr. Brown leaned over the front desk, chatting up nearly ten women at once. I propped myself against the door frame, staring at the curve of his tight ass in those shorts only he could look good in. Damn, he had a perfect, round rump, stretching the fabric in all the right places. The material came down nearly to his knee, exposing a tease of muscled thigh. His calves were lean and tan, and lightly dusted with dark hair that matched the midnight locks on his head. He held his cap in hand as he stood, giving me a generous view of his broad shoulders and slim hips, accented by the black belt around his tapered waist. The uniform accentuated the movements of his taut muscles, and I was mesmerized.

The women near him laughed and primped, trying to hold in their guts and push out their boobs all at once. He laughed, talking with them about whatever cheap floozies talk about. Jealous much? I sighed. I couldn’t judge them. I was exactly like them. Well, without the tits, or even the balls to enter Mr. Brown’s line of sight. He probably thrived on the girly attention and had any number of hot chicks to choose from every night. Smokin’ hot men like him, gay or straight, knew it, and used it to their advantage. Mr. Brown was no different. He could be as shallow and self-absorbed as he wanted to be. No one would care. I mean, look at him! Who would say no to that?

I poured myself some coffee and returned to my spot in the doorway. I blew into the cup before the steam could fog up my glasses. When I glanced up, Mr. Brown’s gaze had landed on me.

Hunter lost a bet at a blackjack table and begrudgingly traded temperate Southern California for the sweltering heat of Las Vegas. There she resides with an extremely tolerant boyfriend and a fat little cat named after her favorite espresso, Latte. When she’s not dreaming of returning to coastal living, Hunter works on her MA thesis in British history and at her government day job. In order to appease her muse, she writes the kind of fiction that keeps her sane. She adores romance in all forms, but prefers her stories with two heroes that find their happily-ever-after with each other.